Cuisine Diva

Weight Control Oatmeal

I'm wondering if instant oatmeal has an expiration date? I made a bowl of Quaker Weight Control instant oatmeal for breakfast this morning. It tastes a bit like stale cardboard. I added extra cinnamon and a bit of ground flax seeds, so now it tastes like really spicy, stale cardboard - not too appealing.

Weight Control Oatmeal

Quaker weight control oatmeal can be purchased in single flavor boxes, or in a variety box of 3 flavors. The variety box contains 4 packets of maple & brown sugar flavor, 2 packets of cinnamon flavor and 2 packets of banana bread flavor.

Each packet, which is made with whole grain Quaker oats, contains 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. Quaker makes a variety of instant oatmeal products including:

1. Quaker instant oatmeal
2. Quaker lower sugar instant oatmeal
3. Quaker high fiber instant oatmeal
4. Quaker organic instant oatmeal
5. Quaker take heart instant oatmeal
6. Quaker weight control instant oatmeal

Bacon Sandwiches

I'm not sure how long the box of weight control oatmeal has been in the pantry, but it is now decorating the bottom of the garbage can. Now I have a craving for a bacon sandwich, to get rid of the nasty stale cardboard aftertaste from the oatmeal. It's a good thing we don't have any bacon in the house, I would so eat an entire package right about now.

Well, it's time to go tackle the laundry room and see if there's any coffee leftover from last night. I seriously start jonsing and become a bit cranky if I don't get my daily coffee fix.

I've got ground turkey and thin, boneless, skinless chicken breast in the refrigerator, trying to think of something interesting to make for lunch or dinner later today.

Take care and enjoy your day,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad

Caprese salad plate

Tomato, mozzarella and basil salad is also known as Caprese Salad, or Insalata Caprese. I wrote an article on how-to make a caprese salad, for the Herbs & Spices section of Suite101 on September 14: Insalata Caprese; How-to Make a Classic Italian Salad Platter.

Lunch Salad
I had a caprese salad for lunch yesterday, which is shown in the photo at the top of this blog post. I used perfectly ripe, campari greenhouse tomatoes, layered with marinated mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves. The mozzarella had been lightly coated in olive oil, then rolled in a finely chopped mixture of garlic, parsley and red peppers. That must have been red pepper flakes, because the cheese was a bit hot and spicy. I sprinkled the salad with a fruity extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, freshly cracked black pepper and a bit of sea salt.

Platter of caprese salad kabobs

Balsamic Vinegar VS Lemon Juice
I found the balsamic vinegar to be a bit too sweet for my taste. So for today's salad, I used a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice instead. That was the secret, the tangy lemon blended perfectly with the fruity olive oil. Lots of yummy dressing to sop up with my big chunk of crusty Italian bread.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Egg in the Basket Recipe

Eggs in a basket, ready to eat

An egg in a basket is simply an egg, that has been pan fried in a piece of bread, which has had it's center removed.

Alternative Names

• Egg-in-a-frame
• Egg-in-a-window
• Egg-in-the-hole
• Egg in toast
• Hen-in-a-nest
• Moon egg
• One-eyed Jack

Butter both sides of the bread

Ingredients for Making Egg in the Basket

I made eggs-in-the-basket on Friday morning for breakfast. I used rye bread, Land O'Lakes Buttery Spread, and cooked the eggs over easy.

• 2 slices bread
• 2 eggs
• Butter or margarine
• Salt and pepper

Hole cut out of center of bread slices

Directions for Making Egg in the Basket

You can either butter the bread first, then cut out the center, or cut out the center and then butter the bread. If you butter the bread first, you could also cook the center circle you cut out, to serve along with the eggs in a basket.

Eggs cooking in the bread basket

1. Place a medium frying pan over medium heat on the stove.
2. Cut out the middle of each slice of bread, using a cookie cutter or small knife.
3. Spread both sides of each slice of bread with a bit of butter.
4. Place the buttered bread into the frying pan.
5. Crack open the eggs, and place one in the center of each slice of bread.
6. Cook until the bread is light brown.
7. Flip the egg in a basket over, and continue cooking until the other side is light brown, and the egg is cooked the way you like it.
8. Garnish with salt and pepper and EAT immediately.
9. Total cooking time is approximately 2 minutes per side for an over easy egg, cook a bit longer if you want to thoroughly cook the egg yolk.

Egg in the basket flipped over and continuing to cook

Creative Flair
You could use just about any interesting cookie cutter, to cut out the center of the bread. How about using a heart shape cookie cutter when making breakfast on Valentine's Day. Or a clover shape for St. Patrick's Day, a star shape for Independence Day, etc... I have TONS of cookie cutters, I could find an interesting shape for all the major holidays.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

How-to Make Caesar Salad Dressing

Individual serving of Caesar salad

Caesar salad can be ordered at most any restaurant. Fancier eating establishments will make the salad table side, which makes waiting for the rest of your meal to arrive not quite so boring. Authentic Caesar salad dressing should be light in texture, yet rich and tangy in taste, and not a gloppy, mayonnaise clogged mess.

 

Making homemade breadcrumbs for Caesar salad

To make an authentic Caesar salad, first you will need to make homemade breadcrumbs. While the breadcrumbs are toasting in the oven, begin to make the dressing. Once the breadcrumbs and dressing have been made, you can assemble the salad.

This recipe calls for a raw egg, which has been coddled in hot water. If you have an aversion to using raw eggs, look for pasteurized eggs in the grocery store. Or you can substitute a tablespoon of mayonnaise for the raw egg if absolutely necessary.

 

Ingredients for making a classic Caesar salad

To make a vegetarian version of the Caesar salad dressing, omit the anchovy fillets. I used to be afraid of anchovies, thinking they were nasty little fishy beasty things, but after making pasta with homemade puttanesca sauce for the first time, I am no longer afraid of this classic, gourmet ingredient.

 

Anchovy fillets packed in olive oil

Making Breadcrumbs

Use leftover Italian or French bread to make the breadcrumbs. I used leftover sesame coated Italian bread that I had purchased a few days earlier at a local Italian market. The bread was pretty much dried out when I went to make breadcrumbs with the leftovers. Fresher bread will require less oil, and a longer toasting time, while staler bread will require more oil and a shorter cooking time.

Ingredients for the Homemade Breadcrumbs

• 4 cups cubed, day old/stale Italian or French bread
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic - minced, or 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions for the Homemade Breadcrumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the bread into 1 to 2 inch cubes.
3. Place the cubed bread into a large mixing bowl.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, oregano and salt.
5. Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil mixture, until all the bread is well coated.
6. Place the seasoned bread cubes onto a baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown, and crisp.
8. Remove to a wire rack to cool until ready to use in the Caesar salad.

Coddle egg in hot water

Caesar Salad Ingredients

1. 3-4 teaspoons minced garlic or 1 tablespoon garlic paste
2. 4 anchovy fillets - finely chopped
3. 1 teaspoon capers - drained
4. 1 teaspoon grainy, Dijon mustard
5. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
6. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
7. 1 egg - room temperature
8. 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
9. Freshly cracked black pepper
10. Grated Parmesan cheese
11. 2-3 heads Romaine lettuce - chopped

Caesar Salad Dressing Directions

1. Place the garlic and anchovies into a mortar, and grind into a fine paste with a pestle.
2. Add the capers, and mustard and continue grinding until a smooth paste is formed.
3. Use a spatula to scrape the paste out of the mortar, and place it in a mixing bowl.
4. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
5. Place the egg in a large coffee mug, or other heat proof container.
6. Pour boiling water over the egg, and let sit for 3 minutes.
7. Drain the hot water off the egg, and cover with cold water.
8. Whisk the coddled egg yolk into the mixing bowl with the other Caesar dressing ingredients (discard the egg white).
9. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, until well blended. The dressing should have a consistency which is just a bit thicker than heavy cream.
10. Add the Romaine lettuce to a large salad bowl.
11. Toss with a bit of the Caesar salad dressing, then garnish with Parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper and a few of the homemade breadcrumbs.
12. The salad should be well coated, but not drowning, with dressing.
13. Because of the raw egg that is used, any leftover dressing should be discarded.

 

Garlic, anchovies, capers and mustard processed with mortar and pestle

 

The complete Caesar salad dressing

Cardini's Original Caesar Salad Dressing
Read the story about the origin of Caesar salad: Cardini's Caesar Dressing. The salad was invented circa 1924 when Italian born Mexican Caesar Cardini started making the salad in his Tijuana restaurant.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Asian Style Vegetable Wraps

 

Veggie wrap in flour tortilla with ponzu dipping sauce.

On Friday I blogged about rice and bean thread noodles. I used rice noodles as part of the filling for Asian style vegetable wraps I made for my daughter, who has recently become a vegetarian. She was looking through one of my vegetarian cookbooks, The Best Ever Vegetarian Cookbook by Nicola Graimes (Barnes & Noble Books, 1999), where she saw a recipe for a vegetable wrap.

 

Ingredients for Asian style vegetable wraps. The alfalfa sprouts never made it into the wraps, thought we had enough veggies without them. I kept the veggies a bit on the crisp side, but you could cook your veggies a bit more then add sliced water chestnuts for a bit of crispness.

No Chickens Allowed
The recipe was for cilantro omelet packages with oriental vegetables. She liked the idea of mixed vegetables being stir-fried and wrapped up somehow, but she isn't a big fan of eggs. We decided to use flour tortilla's as our wrap, and we even used whole wheat pita pockets for some of the leftovers the next day.

 

Broccoli, carrots and snow peas prepared for veggie wraps.

New and Improved Recipe
I drastically changed the original recipe, and came up with an all new recipe for Asian style vegetable wraps. My daughter and I both thought this recipe was super delicious. She took a bit of the leftovers with her for her school lunch the next day. She placed the vegetable wrap filling, in a small plastic container, and wrapped up a couple of tortilla's in foil. I think she added a small container of mandarin oranges, and a carton of chocolate soy milk for a complete and delicious vegetarian meal.

 

Shredded cabbage.

Easy on the Seasonings
Ponzu sauce is a thin, soy sauce which is flavored with citrus. My daughter doesn't like overly flavored or spicy foods, so I kept the seasonings a bit on the light side. If I were making this just for myself, I would probably increase the amount of hoisin sauce and chili oil a bit, or even add a fresh Thai chili or two. My husband and son would even like this dish, if I added a bit of shrimp or chicken to it.

Ingredients for Asian Style Vegetable Wraps

• *1 bunch softened rice thread noodles
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/8 teaspoon chili oil
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger root - peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 4 green onions - sliced thin
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 cup pea pods - cut into thirds
• 3 cups Napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage - shredded
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves - chopped
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Ponzu sauce

Ginger and garlic in the sizzling wok.

*To Soften Rice Thread Noodles

1. Remove one bundle of rice noodles from the package.
2. Place the bundle in a large bowl.
3. Cover the noodles with hot water.
4. Let the rice noodles soak for 10 minutes.
5. Drain off the water.
6. Cut the softened noodles into 2-3 inch long lengths.
7. Continue following the Asian style vegetable wrap recipe.

Variety of vegetables stir frying in the wok.

Directions for Asian Style Vegetable Wraps

The vegetables should still be a bit crispy, and not mushy, after cooking. The cooking times given in this recipe are just guidelines. I have one of those induction top stoves, but a gas stove would be much hotter, thus a shorter cooking time will be necessary.

 

Completed veggie wrap filling, with rice noodles and sauce added.

1. Heat the vegetable oil and chili oil in a wok, or a large frying pan.
2. Stir the ginger into the wok, and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir the garlic and green onions into the wok, and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in the carrot and cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Stir in the snow peas and cook for 1-2 minutes.
7. Stir in the Chinese cabbage and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
8. Stir in the cilantro leaves.
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, water and ponzu sauce.
10. Stir the sauce mixture into the pan full of stir fried vegetables.
11. Cook for another minute or two, until the cabbage has wilted, and all the vegetables are well coated with the sauce.
12. Remove the wok from the heat.
13. Serve immediately. Use rice paper wrappers (i.e. spring roll wrappers), flour tortillas or pita pockets to make vegetable wraps. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Flour tortilla, on the left, and whole wheat pita, on the right, used for Asian style vegetable wraps.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Rice and Bean Thread Noodles

 

Rice noodles, on the left, and bean noodles, on the right.

Vegetarian Recipes
My 13 year old daughter decided to become a vegetarian a few months ago. I let her look through my two vegetarian cookbooks to see if there were any recipes she wanted me to make for her. She saw a recipe for sauteed vegetables wrapped in an omelet. She said she would like something similar, but without the omelet.

 

One bundle of rice thread noodles. They are very stiff and need to be soaked in water before adding to recipes.

Vegetable Wraps
I made a shopping list, and we went to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients. I originally thought I'd use rice paper wrappers for the wraps, but I couldn't find them at Albertson's. I'll probably make a trip to Wholefoods in the next day or two, but for now, I decided to use flour tortilla's instead.

Rice & Bean Thread Noodles
I thought the wraps would need something a bit more substantial than just vegetables, so I decided to see if I could find rice thread noodles. I found both rice sticks and bean threads on the ethnic food aisle. The rice sticks, AKA rice noodles, come three bundles to a package and are made from rice, cornstarch and water. The bean threads, AKA bean noodles, come three bundles to a package and are made from mung bean starch, potato starch and water.

 

Soaking rice thread noodles in hot water.

The rice noodles are very thin, like an angel hair pasta, while the bean noodles, are a bit thicker, almost like spaghetti. Both varieties are wheat-free, making them perfect for anyone following a gluten-free diet. The preparation method is the same for both types of noodles.

Soaking Rice and Bean Thread Noodles

1. Remove one bundle of rice or bean noodles from the package.
2. Place the bundle in a large bowl.
3. Cover the noodles with hot water.
4. Let the rice noodles soak for 10 minutes, and the bean noodles soak for 20 minutes.
5. Drain off the water, then use the noodles in your recipe.

Drain softened noodles in colander.

Frying Rice and Bean Thread Noodles

1. Fill a stock pot with vegetable oil, until it is at least 2 inches deep.
2. Heat the oil to 375 degrees.
3. Remove one bundle of rice or bean noodles from the package.
4. Carefully place the noodles into the hot oil.
5. The noodles will immediately expand in the oil.
6. Remove the noodles from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate before adding to your recipe.

We wanted a soft noodle, to add to the vegetable wraps, so I used the water soaking method. I soaked the noodles as I was chopping, preparing all the vegetables for the wraps. Rice and bean thread noodles don't really taste like anything. They absorb the flavors of whatever recipe they are being added to. I used a citrus flavored soy sauce, AKA ponzu, and hoisin sauce to flavor the veggie wraps.

 

Veggie wrap filling on flour tortilla.

On Monday I will post up the recipe and lots of photographs of the vegetable wraps being made.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Half Hour Meals

I recently listed all my diva blogs on the Blog Catalog site. I received a message from one of the owners of Blog Catalog letting me know about their new site called Half Hour Meals.

According to their website: "HalfHourMeals.com is designed for people who love to cook but do not have time to slave over a hot stove for hours. We understand that people have busy lives, but we believe that everyone deserves to enjoy a great meal at the end of the day. Do not let your hectic schedule prevent you from giving your family the very best. Search our collection of quick, simple, and delicious recipes today, and serve an extraordinary meal tonight!"

Visit Half Hour Meals
Recipes can be searched by course, type of cuisine, ingredients and more. Half Hour Meals also contains a listing of food related blogs, including this blog, Cuisine Diva. Visit the Half Hour Meals website when you get a chance, and find recipes and ideas for quick and easy meals.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Turkey Taco Salad with Blue Corn Chips

 

Turkey taco salad with blue corn chips

I have a problem with high cholesterol, despite all the exercising I do. A few years ago, I decided to stop eating red meat. While I do cave-in and have a beef burger a few times a year, I no longer purchase red meat products for the house. My daughter has recently turned vegetarian, so she doesn't miss not having red meat at the house. But my husband and son are true carnivores, so I had to figure out a way to keep the cavemen happy.

 

Ground white meat turkey

Ground Turkey VS Ground Beef
I discovered that ground white meat turkey can be used in a variety of dishes that I used to use ground beef in. And most people don't notice the difference until I tell them they are eating ground turkey. I've made lasagna, hamburgers, meatballs, meatloaf and more using ground turkey in place of ground beef.

I occasionally use ground dark meat turkey, which is moister than ground white meat turkey, due to its higher fat content. But that's kind of defeating the whole lower-fat eating program I'm trying to follow, so I try to stick to using white meat turkey.

 

Store bought taco seasoning mix

Spiced Taco Meat
I started making my own taco seasoning mix a few years ago. Prepackaged taco seasoning can be found in the ethnic food section of most grocery stores. Commercially made taco seasonings contain a bit too much salt for my taste, so making your own taco spice blend lets you reduce, or completely eliminate the salt.

 

Ingredients for homemade taco seasoning mixture

Here's a quick recipe for creating spiced, ground turkey meat, that can be used in tacos, enchiladas, taco salads and other Tex-Mex style dishes. Use ground chile pepper, such as ancho or chipolte, not chili powder spice mix in this recipe. Chili powder spice mix is usually a mixture of ground chile, garlic powder, cumin, salt and oregano.Ground chili pepper is 100% ground chili pepper.

Taco Spice Seasoning Mix

• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon salt, if desired
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground chile pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, or Mexican oregano

Cook meat until no longer pink in center

Using Taco Spice Mix

1. Add 1 pound of ground meat to a large frying pan, placed over medium heat.
2. Cook the meat until no longer pink in the center.
3. Sprinkle 1 recipe of taco spice mix over the cooked meat.
4. Pour in 2/3 cup water and still until well blended.
5. Cook over medium high heat, until most of the water has been evaporated.
6. Use the spiced taco meat as desired.

Taco spice mix added to cooked ground meat

Turkey Taco Salad with Blue Corn Chips

1. Add 1 cup shredded lettuce to the bottom of a medium bowl.
2. Add 1/2 cup of turkey taco meat on top of the lettuce.
3. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons grated cheese, such as cheddar or Monterey Jack.
4. Add additional toppings as desired, such as sliced black olives, diced onion, chopped tomato, sour cream or hot sauce.
5. Serve with your favorite type of corn chip. I have a preference for blue corn chips.

Seasoned turkey taco meat, ready to eat

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Instant Homemade Pizza

I like making pizza at home. It's less expensive then ordering pizza from a restaurant, and you can control the ingredients used to make the pizza. You can either make a large pizza for the entire family, or let everyone make their own individual pizza. My husband and son are meat eaters, my daughter is a vegetarian and I like interesting topping selections, so it works out better to let everyone at our house make their own, personal size pizza.

 

Perforated pizza pan, helps make a crispy crust. Available at kitchen supply stores and the kitchen department of larger department stores.

 

Individual Boboli pizza crust, spread with olive oil and minced garlic. The olive oil helps create a crispier crust.

Pizza Crust Options

1. Visit your local pizza restaurant and buy pre-made pizza dough from them. I cover a large cutting board with corn meal, and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough before placing it on a pizza pan.
2. Pillsbury pizza dough. Available in the refrigerated section of grocery stores, along with biscuit and cookie dough. This pizza dough unrolls into a rectangular shape. Spread the dough out onto a medium to large rectangular cookie/baking sheet.
3. I can sometimes find fresh, pre-made pizza dough at my local grocery store. Check the bakery department of grocery stores to see if they have pizza dough available.
4. Pre-made pizza crusts such as Boboli. I like Boboli individual pizza crusts, which are available in a package of two, at most grocery stores.

Add your favorite toppings, such as sun-dried tomato paste, sliced green onions and black olives. 

 

Add mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs such as thyme and oregano. I always have fresh herbs growing in my garden, so I can simply run out to the garden and snip a few herbs to add to all my culinary creations.

 

Bake the pizza according to the pizza crust directions. If you are using pizza dough from a local restaurant, ask them for their cooking recommendations. I use a pizza cutter to make quick work of cutting through the pizza.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Quick and Easy Cajun Shrimp

 

Spicy creole-style shrimp

My husband cooked up some shrimp the other day to add to some pasta he was making. He didn't use all the shrimp he cooked, so I came up with this quick and easy recipe to use up the leftovers. I'm calling my concoction quick and easy Cajun shrimp.

 

Leftover shrimp waiting to be made into Cajun shrimp

A less spicy version of the Cajun shrimp can be made by reducing, or even eliminating the red pepper flakes. Serve this easy to prepare shrimp dish with a bit of leftover rice, or reheated baked potato. This seafood recipe could be doubled, or even quadrupled, to serve as a main course.

 

Shrimp, mixed with spices, reheating in pan

Cajun Shrimp Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked shrimp - chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons chopped chives

Tomato sauce added to shrimp

Cajun Shrimp Directions

1. Mix together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika and red pepper flakes.
2. Toss the leftover shrimp with the spice mixture.
3. Add the olive oil to a frying pan placed over medium heat.
4. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
5. Stir in the spice coated shrimp and cook a few minutes, until heated through.
6. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook for 1 more minute.
7. Remove the pan from the stove, and pour the shrimp into a bowl.
8. Right before serving, sprinkle the shrimp with the chives

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva